Chapter 374

Vivian was in a foul mood, and she couldn’t bring herself to tell Sienna that her startup had failed. She’d lost a whopping 80 million dollars. Not only had she blown through her own allowance, but she also felt too ashamed to face Nathan, who had believed in her so much. She’d sworn up and down she’d make it work, and now she’d crashed and burned.

“Want a drink?” Suddenly, a beer can was handed to her from the side. Vivian turned around in shock—it was Nathan.

How did he know I was here? she wondered. “You?”

Nathan popped open the can. “I just had a feeling you’d be here. So, what is it? Did losing a mere 80 million dollars drain all the ambition and courage out of you!”

Vivian took the can and took a sip. The icy, refreshing taste lingered in her mouth.

Vivian gave a self-deprecating chuckle. “The greater my expectations, the greater my disappointment. I thought I could take charge of Hart Corporation and make my own dreams come true, but I lost it all. Now I’m left with nothing.”

Nathan let out a soft laugh as a gentle breeze brushed past their cheeks. The night in Vallaris was dazzling, colorful, extravagant, and full of people hustling just to get by.

“Don’t you understand the principle of perseverance?” Nathan asked, trying to sound wise.

Vivian sighed. “If you don’t know how to comfort someone, you really don’t have to try.”

Nathan scratched his head, looking embarrassed. “Hey, I just wanted to give it a shot. If it doesn’t work out the first time, just try again. I know you can do it. Treat this first failure as a lesson you paid for.”

Vivian sighed, her eyes clouded with disappointment. “That’s easy for you to say. Now that Sienna’s back, she’ll definitely notice. I just don’t want to let her down.”

Nathan shook his head. “I doubt it. How could you ever let her down? Besides, she spoils you rotten. If you really want to start your own business, just talk to her about it.”

To Nathan, Vivian was just restless and making trouble for herself out of boredom. She literally had someone spoon-feeding her, but she insisted on cooking for herself anyway. If he were part of the Hart family and had a sister like Sienna, he’d be over the moon. No matter how badly he screwed up, someone would always have his back.

“I wanted to give her a big surprise. Hart Corporation has this major weakness—it depends way too much on imports. If I can get my company off the ground, not only could we save a ton of money, but I could finally fix that problem for good,” Vivian explained.

“Alright, alright, hold up! Didn’t I already say? Don’t tell me any of your business secrets. If anything goes wrong, I’ll be the first one they look at,” Nathan said, throwing up his hands in mock surrender.

Vivian couldn’t hold back her laughter at Nathan’s reaction and reached out to pat his shoulder. “Come on, Nathan, is it really that bad?”

“What’s he so afraid of?” she thought.

Nathan met her radiant smile, and in the darkness, his heart thudded uncontrollably. He took a big gulp of beer, trying to calm the mude hum. He muttered, “I just don’t want any trouble.” He just wanted to lead a carefree and unambitious life, without any drive to strive or struggle.

Vivian propped her chin on her hands. “But you know, you need some kind of goal in life, otherwise, what’s the point? It’s just boring. Do you still want to give it another shot?” Nathan asked.

Vivian lowered her gaze. “I want to, but not right now. I’m broke,” she said.

Nathan looked at her seriously. “I’ll give you the money. Give it another shot. I know you’ll succeed.”

Vivian turned to him in surprise, meeting those charming, expressive eyes of his. It was like they were telling her, “Go ahead and try again. I’m right here with you?”

She almost nodded without thinking, but then something occurred to her and she quickly shook her head. “No way! I can’t pay you back thirty million anytime soon. I don’t want to owe you even more,” she said.

Nathan grabbed her shoulders, his eyes burning as he looked straight at her. “I believe in you.”

Vivian gave a determined nod. “Okay, I’ll try again.”

This time, Nathan put everything he had on the line and teamed up with her. Vivian was shocked to find out that Nathan actually had a real knack for investing. He made everything crystal clear for her.